COLORADO SPRINGS — Imploring them to be part of the next great “American Century,” President Obama addressed graduating cadets and their families this morning at the United States Air Force Academy.

“I see an American Century because we have the resilience to make it through these tough economic times. … And no matter what challenges we may face, we wouldn’t trade places with any other nation on Earth,” Obama said.

During his talk, the president also tried to impress upon the crowd his accomplishments as Commander-in-Chief, pointing out that the graduates are the first class in nine years “entering into a world where there are no Americans fighting in Iraq.”

Referencing the death of Osama bin Laden and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, Obama said his national security successes have led to “the light of a new day on the horizon.”

“The end of these wars will shape your service and it will make our military stronger,” he said. “Ten years of continuous military operations have stretched our forces and strained their families. Going forward, you’ll face fewer deployments. You’ll have more time to train and stay ready. You’ll be better prepared for the full range of missions you’ll face.

“Ending these wars will also ensure that the burden of our security no longer falls so heavily on the shoulders of our men and women in uniform. You can’t be expected to do it alone. There are many sources of American power — diplomatic, economic, development and the power of our ideals. We need to be using them all. And today, we are.”

This year’s graduating class features 1,073 cadets, including 839 men and a record 234 women. There were 490 grads who chose to go on to pilot training; those candidates incur a 10-year service commitment after earning their wings.

Included among them was Daniel Castro. Part of a military family — his father Jose is a former Green Beret — Daniel was sworn in as an officer Tuesday night by his brother Joe, who graduated from the Academy three years ago.

“That’s a really big deal; a much bigger deal to us than getting our diploma today,” Joe said before the ceremony. “We all entered this school to be in the Air Force, not to just graduate.”

Obama’s remarks come in the midst of a tightening presidential race versus presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Later today, the president is slated to attend a fundraiser in downtown Denver, as his re-election campaign tried to build momentum in his second visit to the state in the last month.

“During a political campaign, the word ‘non-political’ doesn’t exist,” Norman Provizer, a political science professor at Metropolitan State College of Denver, said of the Obama’s balancing act between appearing as Commander-in-Chief to give a talk in a state that may become crucial to his continuing in office. “Everything becomes political, whether it’s intended or not; you may not think something is, but your opponent will make it so.”

When Obama made an appearance at the University of Colorado last month, it was in the context of battling against spiraling debt for college students; on Tuesday, the conservative group Compass Colorado launched a radio ad highlighting “the serious economic problems facing college graduates due to (Obama’s) failed policies.”

Earlier this morning, during a conference call of the Republican National Committee’s Colorado Victory office, former Senator Hank Brown also picked up the theme, citing statistics that show only 54.3 percent of 18-24 year-olds in the United States have jobs.

“This is Obama’s 140th fundraiser. Ironically, it’s coupled with a visit to the Air Force Academy,” Brown said. “I say ironically because the failure of the president is probably most dramatically exhibited in the impact on college students.”

Kristen Leigh Painter was a former business reporter who focused on airlines and aerospace coverage. She joined The Post in September 2011 and departed for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in August 2014. She graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a master's in journalism after earning a bachelor's in history from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse.

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